PEST PROFILES: NON-INSECT ARTHROPOD PESTS

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Millipedes Description: Millipede bodies are rounded or somewhat flattened. Legs are short and movement is slow, with movement of legs appearing wave-like. Most species are less than 1/2 inch long, although one species, in west Texas grows up to 4 inches long. Damage: Millipedes, such as the garden millipede, can become numerous in the greenhouse and damage crops, by chewing. Life cycle: Millipedes spend the winter as adults in protected habitats and become active in the spring. During the warmer months, females lay eggs in soil and cover them with a sticky substance, although some species give birth to living young. Immature larvae hatching from eggs several days later are similar to adults but smaller, having fewer leg-bearing body segments. Additional leg-bearing segments are produced with each molt. Millipedes develop through about seven instars in 21 to 25 weeks. Some centipedes are known to have lived up to 6 years.